diff -r dbdb6f7f9a1a Lib/idlelib/FormatParagraph.py
--- a/Lib/idlelib/FormatParagraph.py	Sun Jun 30 18:37:51 2013 -0400
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/FormatParagraph.py	Mon Jul 01 12:05:16 2013 -0400
@@ -149,3 +149,8 @@
     m = re.match(r"^(\s*#*)", line)
     if m is None: return ""
     return m.group(1)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    import unittest
+    unittest.main('idlelib.idle_test.test_formatparagraph.py', verbosity=2,
+                  exit=False)
diff -r dbdb6f7f9a1a Lib/idlelib/idle_test/mock_editorwindow.py
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/mock_editorwindow.py	Mon Jul 01 12:05:16 2013 -0400
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+"""Classes that replace the editorwindow gui objects used by an object being tested.
+"""
+
+class Text:
+    '''this is a mock class for Text which is used by editor window the
+    only methods that function are get, setText, and insert'''
+    data = "# hello world"
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.data = "# hello world"
+
+    def getText(self):
+        return self.data
+
+    def get(self, start, end):
+        return self.data
+
+    def setText(self, text):
+        self.data = text
+
+    def index(self, typeOfIndex):
+        pass
+
+    def tag_remove(self, selection_type, start, end):
+        '''this function does nothing, it just pretends to remove the selection'''
+        pass
+
+    def mark_set(self, select_type, start):
+        '''this function does nothing, it just pretends to set the selection'''
+        pass
+
+    def undo_block_start(self):
+        '''this function does nothing, it just pretends to undo block start'''
+        pass
+
+    def delete(self, start, end):
+        '''this function does nothing, it just pretends to delete text from
+        editor window'''
+        pass
+
+    def insert(self, start, newdata):
+        '''this function does nothing, it just pretends to insert text'''
+        self.data = newdata
+
+    def undo_block_stop(self):
+        '''this function does nothing, it just pretends to undo block stop'''
+        pass
+
+    def see(self, typeOfSee):
+        '''this function does nothing, it just pretends to see'''
+        pass
+
+
+class EditorWindow:
+    '''this is a mock class for editor window, currently it only supports testing
+    for test_formatparagraph.py'''
+    text = Text()
+
+    def get_selection_indices():
+        first = 2
+        last = 3
+        return first, last
diff -r dbdb6f7f9a1a Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_formatparagraph.py
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_formatparagraph.py	Mon Jul 01 12:05:16 2013 -0400
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import unittest
+from idlelib import FormatParagraph as format_paragraph
+from idlelib.idle_test.mock_editorwindow import EditorWindow
+
+class TestFormatParagraph(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_reformat_paragrah(self):
+        '''tests the basic reformat_paragraph function without the editor window'''
+        reformat_result = format_paragraph.reformat_paragraph("# hello world"
+                , 8)
+        reformat_expected_result = ("# hello\nworld")
+        self.assertEqual(reformat_result, reformat_expected_result)
+
+    def test_format_paragraph_event(self):
+        self.dummy_editor_window = EditorWindow
+        self.dummy_editor_window.text.setText("     \"\"\"this is a test of a reformat for a triple quoted string will it reformat to less than 80 characters for me?\"\"\"")
+        self.fp = format_paragraph.FormatParagraph(self.dummy_editor_window)
+        self.fp.format_paragraph_event('ParameterDoesNothing')
+        reformat_result = self.dummy_editor_window.text.getText()
+        reformat_expected_result = ("     \"\"\"this is a test of a reformat for a triple quoted string will\n     it reformat to less than 80 characters for me?\"\"\"")
+        self.assertEqual(reformat_result, reformat_expected_result)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main(verbosity=2, exit=2)